


A Meskhenetian Gift

by GrimmSen10



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Slow Burn, SuperCorp, Supercorp baby
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2019-02-14 03:49:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12999219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrimmSen10/pseuds/GrimmSen10
Summary: In that instant, everything Lena knew had changed.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a quick preview to see if anyone would be interested in seeing it continued. It's been quite a few years since I've written anything even remotely in the realm of fic, so any feedback would be much appreciated. 
> 
> This work is unbeta'd so all mistakes are my own.
> 
> **Edit**
> 
> This story will be continued. I have the story all planned out and will try to update ASAP. If everything goes to plan, we’re looking at 10-12 chapters.

In that instant, everything Lena knew had changed. Looking down at the results in her hands she tried to convince herself it was some mistake, some cruel joke one of her lab techs had decided to play as revenge for the long hours she’d required of them recently. After all, there was no possible way this could be accurate - which is why she’d made them run it a second time.

And then a third.

Fourth.

After the fifth, Jess had taken her arm, forcing her back to the elevator up to her office, leaving a group of shell-shocked technicians in their wake.  Now, Lena was at a loss. She’d done the calculations in her head and it just wasn’t adding up. Jack had been gone for close to six months, far too long to be a possibility. There’d been no one since.

Except. . . No, that was ridiculous; not worth even thinking about.

Before she could spiral further down that particular rabbit hole, there was a gentle knock on her office door.  Jess entered carrying a steaming mug that smelled suspiciously of Lena’s guilty pleasure hot cocoa, placing it on the coffee table in front of her.

“I’ve cleared your afternoon and called a car to take you home, Miss Luthor.” Sighing, Jess held up a hand to forestall the protest she knew was forthcoming from her stubborn boss. “Lena, you need to get some rest. There is nothing at L-Corp that won’t hold for a few days while you figure this out. I can handle the day to day here and for everything else; you have a perfectly functional computer at home if you insist on working.”

Lena blew out a frustrated breath, leaning forward to grasp the warm mug in cold fingers, hoping for the scent of chocolate to calm her.

“Aren’t I supposed to be the one giving the orders?”

“Not right now, you’re not.” Jess smirked. “You forget that you hired me because I’m just as stubborn as you are. Now, as your employee and more importantly, as a friend, I am ordering you to go home. Take some time to get your head around this. Did you want me to call Miss Danvers or. . .”

“No!” Surprising Jess and herself with the volume of her response, Lena cleared her throat, placing the untouched mug of cocoa back on the table in front of her. Taking a deep breath and tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear to collect herself, she continued, “There’s no need. I am actually feeling rather tired after all. I think I’ll take that ride home and just retire for the day.”

“If you’re sure?”

“I am.”

Jess nodded, gathering a few files from Lena’s desk before turning to leave the office, pausing as Lena spoke quietly.

“Jess? Thank you.”

“Of course. If there’s anything. . .”

“I’ll let you know.”

Nodding again, the assistant left, closing the door gently behind her.  Alone once more, Lena pinched the bridge of her nose, fighting a wave of lightheaded nausea. She supposed this was something she ought to get used to. She doubted she’d be one of the mythical few who somehow managed to avoid morning sickness. At the thought, her heart stuttered. She may not have any idea how it had happened, which terrified her to no end, but the fact remained – Lena Luthor was six weeks pregnant.

A softly whispered expletive preceded a mad dash to relieve what little breakfast she’d eaten into the nearest trash bin, five different tests positive for HCG swimming behind watering eyes.


	2. Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thank you so much for all the support on the prologue chapter. Sorry I didn't respond to all the individual reviews, but thank you for letting me know your thoughts and leaving kudos. I'm seriously overwhelmed by how awesome you all are. 
> 
> To the person who asked; no, this is not a G!P story. There is an explanation forthcoming for how Kara and Lena could possibly conceive a child. Not in this chapter, but I promise all will be revealed in due time. 
> 
>  As a warning, updates may not be every week. I work a full time job with a part time job on the side, so I write whenever I have the time/am not too exhausted to do so. I will try to update as quickly as my schedule allows. At this point I have this story all planned out, so now it just needs to write itself.
> 
> This story is unbeta'd so all mistakes are my own.

6 Weeks Ago

 

Kara was running late; to her own girl’s night, no less. She hadn’t even wanted to be bothered but Alex had insisted. When Kara had tried to feign being too busy or too tired to host, Alex had told her in no uncertain terms that she needed to rejoin the land of the living. After all, Mon El had been gone for months and while Alex understood a period of mourning, she couldn’t continue to abide her sister’s moping any longer. Kara had been ready to simply brush off the concern were it not for her sister’s threat to do something drastic, like call Eliza. Or ban pot stickers from the DEO.

Sighing, Kara threw her damp hair into a messy ponytail. She really hated decontamination showers, no matter how necessary. Even after an unpleasant hydro assault, she could still feel blood and other . . . fluids . . . from her most recent foray as Supergirl. An alien refugee of unidentified species had surprised the owners of a little bistro when they’d found it in their storeroom. The alien, equally surprised, became defensive and Supergirl had been called in to subdue it. She honestly wasn’t even sure if the blood had been hers or not. The scaly, almost reptile-like alien had been rather scrappy.  

Kara took a moment to center herself before opening the door to her apartment, where her sister, Lena and Maggie were all waiting for her. She usually had a quick turnaround from Supergirl to Kara Danvers, but recently she’d been a little off. She had promised Alex she wouldn’t abandon her humanity, but some days it was just easier to soar above it all. She could understand Alex’s desire to give her this night as a reminder of the grounding force of her friends and family left here on Earth, but it was still difficult to embrace. Taking a deep breath and forcing a sunny smile to her face, Kara opened the door, greeted by a chorus of happy yells from the occupants of her apartment.

Alex met her at the door, handing her an unmarked bottle of amber liquid.

“I got you some Aldebaran rum,” she whispered conspiratorially, squeezing her sister’s arm. “Figured you needed to take the edge off.”

Kara’s smile morphed from forced to gently authentic as she raised the bottle to her lips and took a long swig, joining Maggie and Lena in the living room. The CEO and Detective were having a heated debate about what to watch on Netflix; Maggie insisting on some campy slasher show, while Lena argued for overly-sentimental romance.

Giggling a bit at their antics, Kara sat on the sofa beside Lena, already feeling pleasantly buzzed. “I’m gonna have to agree with Lena on this one. Anything but horror is fine by me.” Lena beamed at her over the brim of her glass of wine.

“Oh, c’mon, Little Danvers! You can’t tell me you’re afraid of a little cheesy horror goodness.”

“Please, we all know you just want to watch something scary because you’re hoping for some cuddling from my sister, who is a big scaredy-cat.” Kara smirked, ignoring Alex’s indignant protest. “Which, gross. I don’t need to see that.”

Maggie threw a pillow at Kara’s head, which she dodged easily, prompting quiet laughter from all present. They ended up settling on a random sitcom nobody paid any attention to as they chatted and drank the night away. Alex and Maggie called it a night around eleven, feigning exhaustion while sneaking drunken touches. After exchanging hugs goodnight, Kara could hear them kissing and giggling all the way down to their cab.

“Thank you for hosting, Kara. It’s been nice to unwind a bit. I think we both deserve it after the past few months.” Lena drained the remaining wine from her glass, swaying slightly on her feet.

At the sight of Lena seemingly gearing up to leave, Kara nearly panicked at the thought of her going away. Turned out she was a slightly clingy drunk. She reached out to steady herself with a hand on Lena’s shoulder.

“One more drink before you go?”

Lena certainly couldn’t deny the patented Kara Danvers’ pout, so she nodded, filling another glass of wine. One glass turned to a bottle; then another after Kara had finished her rum.

The next morning found them tangled together on Kara’s bed, naked limbs sliding together pleasantly. Kara was the first to wake, the warm sun streaming through the window curing any potential hangover and bringing flashes of memory along with it. She tensed as Lena began to stir, groaning at the same light that had awoken her bedmate. Kara slowly looked into eyes just as confused and scared as her own.

“Hi,” she croaked.

 

* * *

 

 

As much as she’d tried to put it out of her mind, Kara could not stop thinking about that night. Underneath the haze of confusion and fear that they’d royally messed up the best friendship Kara had ever had, waking up in Lena’s arms had felt _right_ ; like she was meant to be there.  She just couldn’t shake that moment of bliss before the world fully came back to her, the feeling of skin sliding together as the sun beat warmly through the blinds. Once Lena had fully woken, they’d scrambled apart and simply stared at each other for long moments before bashfully looking away.

After rather awkwardly searching for hastily discarded clothing and dressing in silence, they’d decided to laugh it off as a crazy thing they’d done while drunk. They hadn’t spoken about it since and it was tearing Kara apart. She was sure Lena was feeling the same, if the occasional stutter step in heartbeat when she looked at her was any indication. She just couldn’t seem to figure out how to bring it up to the other woman.

_Hey, Lena! Remember that time we totally had sex, at least I’m assuming we had sex since we were naked in bed together, and then we pretended it never happened? Can we, maybe, make it happen again, this time without the memory-erasing alcohol?_

Yeah, that would go over really well, she was sure.

Kara sighed and readjusted the bags of takeout in her hands, greeting Jess warmly as she arrived at the desk before Lena’s office.

“Hey, Jess! I brought lunch. Is she free?”

“Oh, I’m sorry Miss Danvers, but she’s not here. Miss Luthor went home a little over an hour ago.”

“She went home?” Kara was confused and a bit worried. In the entire time she had known Lena she had never known her to miss work. Even with threats against her life and assassination attempts, the CEO always made it a point to keep her schedule. “Is everything alright?”

Jess smiled at her just a touch too sadly for Kara’s liking, but the expression quickly morphed back into polite professionalism. “She wasn’t feeling very well and since it’s not a particularly busy day here at the office, she decided to work from home.”

“Oh. Right. That makes sense, I guess.” To keep herself from rambling and showing Jess how worried she was, Kara offered up the bag of takeout. “Well, I had brought her some vegetable biryani, but if she’s sick that’s probably not the best choice. You in the mood for some Indian food?”

Jess chuckled before accepting the bag. “Well, I’m certainly not going to turn down free food. Thanks.”

Kara stayed a few more minutes, chatting idly with Lena’s assistant before excusing herself. Something didn’t feel quite right about Lena taking the day off. Lena taking a day off and not even mentioning it to her was even stranger considering their standing lunch dates during the week. Usually if one of them was busy through the lunch hour, she would text the other to let her know. Kara checked her phone. No missed calls or texts. It wouldn’t be weird to drop by Lena’s apartment, right? After all, friends brought care packages to each other when they were sick, didn’t they?

Mind made up, Kara made her way to a diner she knew Lena liked and ordered chicken noodle soup to go. A quick stop for water, ginger ale, and some other amenities she’d learned were great for illness from taking care of Alex, and she found herself at the front of Lena’s building.

“Hey, Phil!” She greeted the guard behind the security desk happily as he unlocked the door to the lobby.

“Miss Danvers! Good to see you again. Miss Luthor came home not too long ago. Said she was feeling sick. I’m sure she’d be real glad to see you though.” Phil, while in his late forties, was a very perceptive man.  He’d seen the changes in the young Luthor since the sunny Miss Danvers had started coming around. It made him happy that the girl he’d always felt a little sorry for seemed to finally be finding people who cared for her despite her horrible family.  “Let me ring up and let her know you’re here.” He picked up the receiver on the desk and dialed a few numbers, chatting quickly on the line before hanging up and smiling back at Kara. “Go right on up.”

“Thanks, Phil! Oh, and here,” Kara dug a chocolate pastry out of her bag from the diner, handing it to the smiling guard. “Stopped at Pete’s and picked up your favorite.”

“You really are the best, you know? Thanks!” Phil took a big bite of his pastry and called out to Kara just before she boarded the elevator, “Take care of her, ya hear? She wasn’t lookin’ too good.”

Kara simply smiled, nodding as the elevator doors slid closed. Twenty-six floors later found her on the top floor of the building, poised to knock at Lena’s door. Before she could, the door was opened, revealing a slightly paler than usual Lena, wearing a pair of leggings and the National City University sweatshirt she’d stolen from Kara. Her eyes were rimmed in red, whether from crying or from vomiting Kara couldn’t tell. Actually seeing her made Kara’s worries increase instead of abating them as she’d hoped. Lena looked exhausted. And Kara couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something seemed . . . off . . . about her heartbeat. And not in the typical skipping a beat sort of way.  

She held up the bags in her hands. “I brought soup.”

* * *

 

Lena chuckled, opening the door wider to let Kara in. “That’s an awful lot of bags just for some soup.”

“Well, I also brought you some ginger ale, saltines, water, Gatorade, Theraflu, some ibuprofen, and some tissues.” Lena looked at the bags, slightly baffled. Kara shrugged, emptying the bags contents onto Lena’s kitchen counter. “Jess said you were sick.”

Lena smiled, though Kara noted it didn’t reach her eyes. “Of course.” She sighed. “Just a bit of the flu, I think. I’m already feeling better after a much needed nap. I’m sorry I forgot to call to let you know I’d left and cancel our lunch.”

“Oh, it’s no problem! Besides, I’m sure Jess was happy about it. She ended up with your veggie biryani,” Kara winked.

Lena gasped dramatically, a hand coming to her chest in mock indignation. “You gave away my veggie biryani? I have never been so betrayed.” She laughed as Kara’s eyes widened in concern. “I’m joking Kara. I’m not quite sure I could have stomached it today anyway, but thank you. For that. And for the soup. And the bags full of sickbed necessities.”

“Of course, Lena. Are you sure you’re okay? You look really pale. Like, paler than usual I mean. Not that you’re unnaturally pale or anything. I just meant,” Kara stopped, pouting as she noticed Lena holding in a laugh behind an amused smirk. “I just, I was worried about you.”

Lena blushed, smirk softening to a small smile as she pulled Kara into a quick hug. “Thank you, but I assure you, I’m fine. No need to worry about a little flu.” There was that faraway, almost sad look in her eyes again, Kara noted, deciding to let it go for now. Clearly, whatever was going on, Lena wasn’t up for talking about it and she didn’t want to push. If her friend said she was okay, then she’d take her at her word.

“Well, from what I’ve seen, the flu is like the actual worst. You sure there’s nothing I can do for you?”

“From what you’ve seen? Don’t tell me you’ve never had the flu?” Lena looked mildly aghast, eyes narrowing as an idea began to formulate.

“I, um, I’ve got like, a _really_ good immune system, I guess. Alex always tells me she hates me for it whenever she gets sick. She’s super cranky when she doesn’t feel well.”

“I can only imagine,” Lena laughed softly at the thought Kara’s recalcitrant sister dealing with a cold or flu. She could be considered cranky on the best of days, Lena wasn’t sure she’d want to be around her while ill.

“Oh, yeah. She’s the biggest baby. Super whiny. Don’t let the badass persona fool you.”

Lena laughed again, enjoying Kara’s company, allowing it to distract her from the myriad of thoughts swirling through her mind. They spent the next hour chatting idly as Lena picked at the soup and crackers Kara had brought her, stomach still feeling rather unsettled. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t just told Kara about the morning’s test results, but she just couldn’t seem to make herself bring it up and before she knew it Kara was helping her clean up and insisting she go back to bed and get some rest.

After a hug goodbye, Lena found herself alone again in her apartment, thoughts swirling in her head. If she was right, then the only possibility was that Kara had somehow “fathered” her child. But that made absolute zero sense. Lena had become intimately familiar with Kara’s body and though she only had brief flashes of their night together, she would certainly have remembered Kara possessing the necessary equipment to make this happen. The only other option Lena could come up with was that Kara was not, in fact, human. Maybe that could explain how two females could find themselves in this position? After all, alien biology was different from a humans’ in many ways.   _Flew here on a bus, indeed._

That also left the idea that Kara had been lying to her this whole time, which hurt. A lot. Lena thought they’d built a solid level of trust between them. She’d certainly never let anybody as close as Kara Danvers. And Kara never looked at her like she was a _Luthor_. She was just Lena. Something, somewhere wasn’t adding up and Lena was determined to figure it out.

Filled with new determination, she pulled her laptop out of her bag by the counter, logging in to L-Corp’s secure server and settling in for a long night poring over whatever files had been compiled on the known alien species in National City.


	3. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay! The last few weeks have been kind of insane and this chapter gave me a hell of a time trying to get it written, between computer issues and just good old fashioned writer's block. I'm still not totally happy with it, so I may come back to tweak it later. 
> 
> This chapter and the next are a little angsty, but have no fear, fluff is on the horizon. I promise. 
> 
> Thanks again to everyone who left kudos and comments! I love you all.

It had been two weeks. Two weeks of searching through every database Lena had at her disposal through L-Corp’s not insubstantial servers. Two weeks of dead end after dead end. She still had no clues as to what could have landed her in her current predicament and was even beginning to doubt her sanity, almost afraid she was slipping into hysteria like Lex. She pored over the latest dossier on her screen, before closing her laptop with a sharp snap.

There was no way Kara was hiding a forked tail beneath those cheery sundresses so that was yet _another_ potential species crossed off.

Lena huffed in frustration, swallowing down a low growl as she could feel the itch of tears forming. She’d rather Jess didn’t find her crying at her desk for a _sixth_ time in less than four days, but it seemed her hormones had other ideas. Between the constant nausea, exhaustion, and tendency to cry at even the smallest provocation, Lena was shocked she’d managed to get anything done at all in the past two weeks. It didn’t help that Jess was still the only person who knew she was pregnant.

Well, Jess and a small contingent of lab techs who’d been required to sign confidentiality forms.

The decision not to tell Kara was weighing heavily on her. How was she supposed to tell her best, and only, friend that they had somehow managed to create new life during the drunken night they refused to talk about? There were only two ways she could see that conversation playing out.

One, Kara would think her insane and actually realize that Lena was a _Luthor,_ never speaking to her again.

Or two, Kara would be convinced Lena was a liar, realizing she wasn’t worth the effort, and never speaking to her again.

Either way, she was sure that as soon as the truth was out, their friendship was doomed. If Kara didn’t think her insane or a liar, that likely meant Kara wasn’t human. It meant Kara had lied to her. She wasn’t particularly sure which outcome she’d prefer, to be honest.

“Lena?” The soft voice startled her out of her reverie to find the subject of her thoughts in front of her desk. Kara looked at her with clear concern etched in the crinkle of her brow, rushing to kneel at her side, one hand reaching up as if to touch her face before halting and pulling away to rest on the arm of Lena’s desk chair.  “What happened? Are you alright?”

Lena brought a hand to her cheek, feeling wetness there. She hadn’t even realized the tears had begun to fall. Wiping them away quickly, she cleared her throat, averting her eyes from Kara’s intense, concerned gaze. “I’m fine, Kara. Just,” she sighed, “overtired, I think.”

Kara stood, making her way to her usual seat on Lena’s couch, the concerned frown never leaving her face as she tilted her head as if listening for something.

“So, what brings you by? Just visiting, or does CatCo have you running another story on me?” Lena forced a soft laugh, trying to distract Kara and discretely clean her face, thankful she’d worn waterproof mascara, at least. If anything, the crinkle between the reporter’s brows became more pronounced.

“I’m here for lunch. We talked about trying that new Italian place, remember?”

“Oh! Right. Of course. I’m sorry Kara. It must have slipped my mind. Like I said, I’m just a bit overtired. Long days, you know?” Lena cringed internally. She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten their regular lunch date. She was beginning to believe “pregnancy brain” may actually be legitimate.

Of course, it could also be the fact that she had more than usual on her mind these days.

“You’re sure you’re okay?”

“I’m sure. Probably just some leftover vestiges of the flu.” Lena waved away Kara’s concern.  “Give me just a couple of minutes to use the restroom and we can go, okay?”

Lena smiled as Kara seemed to finally relax, nodding at her and settling back into the couch to wait while the CEO detoured into the office’s private facilities. She splashed some water on her face, breathing deeply and blinking rapidly to stem the onset of yet another bout of tears. After another few minutes gathering her composure to feel more like herself, Lena exited and smiled over to Kara, who was holding out her jacket with a small grin.

“Impatient, are we?”

Kara shrugged good-naturedly, her grin turning sheepish. “I’m just, like, _really_ hungry.”

“Aren’t you always?”

The two laughed as they made their way out of the office, Lena letting Jess know to hold her calls until she returned.

 

* * *

 

 

 Lena pushed the salad around her plate while she watched in horrified fascination as Kara finished her third plate of lasagna in less than thirty minutes, then used a piece of garlic bread to soak up the leftover sauce from her plate. How she hadn’t previously suspected Kara of being an alien was beyond her. There was no way any human could eat as much as the sunny blonde and still be so ridiculously fit.  Kara, sensing eyes on her, looked up as she shoved the last bit of garlic bread in her mouth.

Lena chuckled, shaking her head at the sight of Kara’s cheeks puffed out with her mouthful of food. There was something oddly charming about the pure joy Kara approached eating with – approached everything with.  She found herself hoping their child would inherit Kara’s light, sobering with the thought that she’d more likely pass on her family’s accursed darkness. She realized then that it was the first time she’d really thought of this pregnancy as something that would actually produce a child rather than simply a jumbling of her hormones.

With that recognition, she was hit by a wave of nausea that had her jumping to her feet, barely excusing herself before rushing to the restaurant’s bathroom. Kara sat, stunned, for only a moment before following behind her.

Lena heard Kara enter the bathroom just as she evicted the meager contents of her stomach into the first, thankfully clean, stall. Suddenly Kara was at her side, rubbing her back soothingly with one hand, placing a cool towel on the back of her neck with the other. She vaguely recognized that she hadn’t heard the water running and wondered idly at where Kara had gotten the towel from, before losing the thought as her stomach roiled violently a second time.

Finally, she sat back on her heels, leaning into Kara for a short moment before gathering herself to stand and make her way to the sink. Splashing some water on her face, she avoided Kara’s concerned gaze. After swishing a bit of water around her mouth to wash the taste away, she tensed, hearing the deep sigh behind her.

“Lena, what’s wrong?”

Lena forced her stiffening spine to some semblance of relaxation, shrugging in hopes of allaying Kara’s concern.

“Nothing’s wrong. It’s just. . .”

“Don’t say it’s just the flu, Lena!” Kara startled them both with the vehemence of her interruption. “It’s been weeks! Something’s wrong. I can _tell_. You. . .” Kara seemed to collect herself. “I just _know_ something is going on. I’m your friend, Lena. I want to help.  Why won’t you just tell me?”

“Kara, I . . .”

The loud ringing of Kara’s cellphone interrupted their heated moment, both jumping at the intrusion. Kara spared the device a glance, her face hardening briefly with conflict before smoothing over. Lena watched her sigh wearily, knowing before the blonde even spoke that she was saved, for the moment.

“I have to go. Lena. . . “

Lena couldn’t look her in the eye and it pained her to know that it was clearly hurting Kara, but she just . . . wasn’t ready for this conversation. Kara’s voice had been smaller than Lena had ever heard it and it sent a jolt straight through her. She felt like she might be sick again.

Before she could even muster a response, Kara sighed again and was gone, the door swinging shut behind her.

As Lena made her way to the counter to pay their bill, a television in the corner caught her eye. Supergirl had just arrived at the scene of a multi-vehicle pile-up across the city and was squaring up against a boulder-like creature that seemed to be the cause of it. The camera panned to a close up as Supergirl moved a young girl out of harm’s way, smiling gently down at her and Lena gasped.

How had she not seen it before? Could she really have been that oblivious? She’d only ever met one person with eyes quite that blue and a smile quite so bright. There was only _one_ person who disappeared suddenly whenever there was danger in the vicinity, always shortly followed by the appearance of the Kryptonian heroine.  

She felt like such an _idiot_.

“Are you alright, miss?” The woman behind the counter was looking at her in concern.

“Y-yes. I’m fine. Thank you.” Lena signed the receipt, flashing a quick smile, before exiting the restaurant. She called Jess to clear her afternoon and hailed a cab to take her home. She was far too distracted to accomplish anything at the office for the rest of the day.

 

* * *

 

 

By the time Kara had finished taking down the boulder-like alien, handing it over to DEO custody, it was dark outside. She had stuck around after defeating the rogue alien to help with cleanup efforts, removing downed vehicles from the road and carrying injured people to safety.  Through it all, she couldn’t stop thinking about Lena. Something was going on with her friend and it frustrated her to no end that Lena apparently didn’t trust her enough to tell her what it was.

And then there was the sound of Lena’s heartbeat.

It had always beat to its own rhythm, but lately something was just – off, about it. Almost like . . . an echo? Or a fluttering?

Kara had found herself tuning in to the CEO almost subconsciously shortly after the Venture incident. That comforting staccato had been an ever-present hum in the background of her senses ever since.  When the beat had changed, just slightly, a few weeks ago, she had initially brushed it off. Then Lena had gotten distant and started forgetting their lunch dates. Kara had been ready to assume that Lena was uncomfortable following their drunken night together, but then she’d come down with what she continued to insist was just the flu.

What kind of friend would Kara be if Lena was really sick and she just let her go through it alone? And why was Lena being so . . . _darn_ . . . stubborn? Had they really messed things up that badly between them with one drunken – she couldn’t even call it a mistake.

It was the most amazing night of her life.

She only wished that they’d talked about it before hand. Kara had been beating herself up over it ever since. After all, they’d both been drunk, so consent was definitely foggy. And Kara hated that. Hated _herself_ for possibly taking advantage of her best friend; for ruining the best thing in her life.

These thoughts eventually led her to Lena’s door, far later than was probably appropriate. She’d cheated, bypassing the front desk and flying through an open window in the hall below Lena’s floor. She was sure Phil would have let her up, but didn’t want to risk Lena turning her away. As she paced in front of Lena’s door, debating whether she should knock, the decision was taken away from her.

“Kara? What are you doing here?”

Lena sounded tired and Kara felt a pang at the sight of the pale brunette in an oversized sweater and leggings, arms crossed tightly over her chest.

“I just, um,“ Kara faltered. “I was hoping we could talk, maybe?”

Lena’s eyes widened slightly and her heartrate ticked up. Was that – _fear_? Was Lena afraid of her?

“Lena . . .”

“Now’s not really a great time. I’m still not quite feeling well.”

As Lena moved to close the door, Kara panicked, reaching a hand out to stop it. She was just barely able to restrain herself from breaking it in her haste, but the sound of her hand on thick wood rung out like a gunshot, freezing the two of them for a moment. Finally Lena sighed, angrily.

“What the hell, Kara? I’m tired, okay? Whatever it is you insist on discussing can wait.”

“No, Lena, it can’t! You’ve been avoiding me for weeks! Why won’t you just talk to me?”

“I’m not avoiding you! I’ve just had . . .”

Kara scoffed; “the flu. Yeah, I know. Well, I don’t believe you.”

“You don’t . . .” Lena looked like she might cry, stomping her sock-clad foot in frustration. “What do you expect me to say to that, Kara?”

“The truth, Lena! I expect you to tell me the truth!”

Kara felt out of control. Worry competed with frustration, mixing a potentially explosive cocktail. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down before she let herself speak again. Lena was looking at her in something akin to terror, tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks, and something inside of Kara broke.

“Lena, please,” she begged, her own tears beginning to fall. “Please, just tell me what’s wrong. I want to help. Please let me help.”

“You want the truth, _Supergirl_?”

Kara froze, ice flowing through her veins. Lena knew?  Was that why she’d been avoiding her? How did she find out?

Lena had gathered herself in front of her, forcing her back ramrod straight as she tried to look every bit the cold –hearted Luthor many believed her to be. The façade was broken, however, by the hammering of her heart, red-rimmed eyes, and the slight tremor Kara could detect in her voice.

“I’m pregnant.”


	4. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so sorry for the wait on this! Thank you to those who left Kudos and commented so far. You are all amazing. 
> 
> This chapter was a bit of a beast. I wrote and rewrote it at least 5 times and I'm still not particularly happy with it, but didn't want to keep you waiting any longer. 
> 
> I also needed something to help ease some of the angst from that last episode. Don't get me wrong, I get where Kara's coming from but seeing her mad at Lena hurts. 
> 
> This work is unbeta'd, so any and all mistakes are my own.

_“I’m pregnant”_

Kara could swear her heart stopped, if that was possible.

Lena was pregnant?

There was a stab of what might be pain in her chest. Why did this hurt so much? Lena was her friend, right? She should be happy for her. Was she supposed to be happy for her?

Lena was pregnant.

Lena slept with someone.

Lena slept with a _man_.

Lena could sleep with whoever she wanted. They were friends; only friends.

They were friends who got drunk and had sex; the best sex of Kara’s life from what flashes she could remember.  It’s not like Kara had any sort of claim on her or anything. Besides, that was ridiculous. She couldn’t claim another person as her own, no matter how much she may want to and, oh Rao; _did_ she want to? This was so not a good time to open that can of worms. But maybe that can of worms was better than the other, more super, one.

Kara blinked away the sudden moisture in her eyes, trying to tell herself it was due to shock.

“Y-you’re,” voice breaking, Kara cleared her throat. “You’re pregnant? That’s, I mean, um – congrats?”

Lena barked out a harsh, strangled laugh. “Congrats? That’s…” The brunette shook her head, turning to walk back into her apartment, leaving the door open for Kara to follow. Kara’s brow furrowed as she closed the door behind her and moved to join Lena where she’d sunk exhaustedly into the couch.

“So . . . not congrats?”

“That’s, uh, yet to be determined.”  Lena sighed heavily, looking down to her fidgeting hands.

“Yet to be. . . Lena? What is it? Is it the father? Who is he? Have you told him yet? Oh no! Did he take it badly? Lena, if this guy is being a jerk, I can talk to him for you, I can. . .”

“What? Go Supergirl on him?” Despite everything, Lena couldn’t help but feel slightly amused at Kara’s characteristic babbling. She smirked as mention of the Supergirl thing brought Kara’s rant to a screeching halt.

“Go Supergirl? Ha! I wish! Wouldn’t that be funny?” Kara scoffed, averting her slightly panicked gaze. Maybe she could deflect Lena from the super elephant in the room by dealing with the baby elephant in the room. “Anyway . . . you’re pregnant! I didn’t even know you were seeing anyone! Wait; was it like, a one night thing? Not that there’s anything wrong with that! I mean, anyway, the father. Have you told him yet?”

“Kara, just stop, okay? I know you’re Supergirl.”

“Lena. . . “

“And I get it. I do. I understand why you didn’t tell me. I am a Luthor, after all.”

“What? No! Lena. That is not why I didn’t tell you! I trust you, more than almost anyone. You being a Luthor does not make you untrustworthy, okay? How many times do I have to say it before you believe me? You are so much better than your mom and your brother. . . Is what I would say, if I were Supergirl. Which, I am _not_.”

Lena just glared and Kara’s shoulders slumped as she realized there was no maneuvering around the truth.

“I’m sorry. I’ve wanted to tell you a hundred times. It’s just . . . the people who know I’m . . . her.  They treat me like Supergirl, which I don’t mean in like, a bad way. But with you, I just got to be Kara. And that. . .” Kara sighed, turning to face Lena fully on the couch. “That’s kind of hard to give up, you know? I never had to be super around you. I could just be, I don’t know. Not Supergirl, not even really Kara Danvers, just . . . me.”

Lena softened, reaching out to place a comforting hand on Kara’s knee.

“Lena, I am so sorry I didn’t tell you. Really, really sorry. And we can definitely talk about it all you want. You can yell at me and be mad at me, but right now, you are more important. You’re having a _baby_. That’s, I mean. Wow.”

Lena’s hand squeezed the blonde’s knee before she settled back into the couch, closing her eyes with a heavy sigh. For Lena, this next part was going to be harder than anything else. How do you tell your best friend that _she_ is going to be, for lack of a better term, a father?

“ _We_ are having a baby _.”_

 

* * *

 

 

“I’m sorry, what?” 

Alex Danvers was very accustomed to the unusual. She was an operative for a secret government agency headed by a Martian and her sister was Supergirl.  Her entire life revolved around things that the average civilian wouldn’t even imagine possible. The unexpected was kind of her _thing_. But this? This was kind of a lot, even for her.

“Um, Lena and I, uh,” Kara cleared her throat, tangling her fingers in her cape as she focused on a scuff mark on the floor of her sister’s lab at the DEO. It looked like it was from a standard-issue DEO tactical boot, women’s size eight. Likely from Alex herself, then.

“Yeah, no, I heard what you said, Kara.” Alex pinched the bridge of her nose to stave off the oncoming signs of headache. “What I’m not understanding is the _how_. I mean, yeah, whatever, you guys slept together. It was bound to happen sooner or later.”

“Wha-, Alex!”

Waving off her sister’s indignant protest, Alex continued, “Kara, please. Even I could see you two basically undressing each other with your eyes every time you were in the same room and I didn’t figure out I was gay until Maggie basically smacked me in the face with it.”

“Alex!”

“That’s not even the point. Since when are you even _able_ to get someone pregnant? We’ve run hundreds of tests on you over the years and as far as we can tell, your biology is similar enough to humans that reproduction should work essentially the same way. I know on Krypton, you guys didn’t exactly do things the old fashioned way, but the biology is there.”

“I don’t know, Alex.”

“And you’re sure that you are the only possibility?”

“Lena told me she hasn’t been with anyone else and I believe her, Alex. After everything, how could you even _think_ she’d – “

“Kara! I believe you, okay. I don’t think Lena would lie about this. I’m just kind of trying to wrap my head around all this right now.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.” Kara mumbled, slumping against the nearest workstation, her arms crossed protectively over her chest. Alex immediately softened at the lost look on her face, heart stuttering at the sight of tears threatening to fall. Most people saw Supergirl as something larger than life, a protector, a _god_. To Alex, she would always be her kid sister and right now she didn’t need Alexandra Danvers, DEO Agent. She needed her big sister.  

Taking two long strides, Alex pulled Kara into her arms. She squeezed as hard as she could, trying to bring comfort as the blonde tucked her head into the crook of her neck to cry softly.

“I’ve got you. It’s okay, Kara. We’re going to figure this out. I’m here.”

 

* * *

 

 

The next evening, Lena was curled up on her couch nursing a cup of hot chocolate when her phone chimed with a text.

 **Kara** : _Hey_

Lena set her mug aside, nibbling on her thumbnail while weighing her response. After their argument and subsequent revelations, Kara and Lena had talked, argued, even yelled and cried, until the early hours of morning. They’d left things in a much better place than they’d started and Kara seemed to believe Lena, at least. Lena was still upset about the whole alien-superhero thing, but ultimately believed Kara when she said the secret had nothing to do with being a Luthor. They were, if not good, at least getting back to there.

That’s not to say Lena didn’t still feel a bit awkward about it all. And based on Kara’s incessant fidgeting when they’d had coffee (decaf tea for Lena) this morning, she felt the same. It was a Saturday, so at the insistence of both Kara and Jess, Lena had taken the day at home to relax. Of course, her idea of relaxing was going through emails and proposals barefoot in sweats at home instead of in a dress and heels at the office.

Lena’s fingers hovered above the screen of her phone, finally tapping out a simple response.

 **Lena** : _Hey_

The screen lit up as Kara appeared to be typing a response before thinking better of it. This happened three times before the bubbled ellipsis turned to the chime of a new message.

 **Kara** : _I told Alex please dont be mad! She can help us figure out how this happened. Please dont be upset. I know I should have asked you before telling her_

Lena stared down at her screen for a moment. _Was_ she upset? She didn’t know exactly what she was feeling, but she was fairly certain she wasn’t angry about Kara telling Alex. It made sense for the blonde to go to her sister. If Lex hadn’t . . . well, Lena knew what having an older sibling was like, once. Back before Lionel died and everything went to hell, Lena told Lex everything. If he were still around, and hadn’t spent years trying to have her killed thanks to the deranging influence of Lillian, she could see telling him about this.

 **Lena** : _I’m not upset. She’s your sister. I’d be more surprised if you hadn’t told her._

 **Kara** : _Oh good :D_

 **Kara** : _She actually asked if she could run some tests_

 **Kara** : _If that’s ok with you? Just to make sure everything is ok_

 **Kara** : _If you don’t want to I totally get it_

 **Kara** : _I’ll tell her to forget it_

 **Kara** : _stupid idea anyway_

 **Kara** : _sorry : /_

Lena was a bit taken aback. Alex wanted to run some tests?

As much as she’d like to outright refuse, Lena supposed she should let her. After all, Kryptonian reproduction should be similar to humans so Kara’s alien heritage hadn’t brought with it the answers Lena had hoped for. She had suspected before that Alex worked for the DEO and not the FBI, but finding out Kara was Supergirl had all but confirmed it. They’d likely have equipment and databases L-Corp could only dream of, regardless of how state of the art her own labs were.

Feeling a bit nauseated at the idea of being treated like a lab rat, aided by the still ever-present “morning” sickness, Lena tapped out a quick response.

 **Lena** : _Okay._

 

* * *

 

 

Alex’s tests were far less invasive than Lena had anticipated. Three vials of blood, two quick scans - zero radiation, Alex assured her, so as not to harm the baby in any way -  and a standard physical later, she was sitting in a DEO break room with a cup of steaming hot chocolate and a nervously pacing Supergirl waiting on results. She was surprised to note that the secret government agency’s break room looked remarkably similar to those in her own office building – white walls, plain tile, with a small round dining table, 4 standard chairs, a couch along one wall, and basic kitchenette setup along the other. She was pulled from her reverie by Kara slumping unceremoniously into the chair beside hers. While the chair groaned in slight protest, it didn’t break. Not _standard_ chairs then; must be reinforced with something, Lena mused.

“Thank you for doing this, Lena. She just, _we_ want to make sure you’re alright. This isn’t, I mean, Kryptonians don’t, this _shouldn’t_ have happened.” Kara’s eyes widened comically as she realized how that may have sounded. “Not that it’s a bad thing! I mean, is it? It isn’t right? I know we kind of talked about it, but this is all just . . .” She sighed slumping further into her chair.

“Unexpected, I know. Trust me, I get it, Kara.” Lena placed her hand atop one of the super’s clenched fists. “I’m still not quite sure what to think myself and I’ve had more time to process it all. It will be nice to know, whatever it is we find out.”

“Lena, I – “

The door burst open, causing both Lena and Kara to flinch. Alex looked up from the paperwork in her hands and gave a sympathetic shrug.

“Sorry guys. Didn’t mean to startle you.” After being waved off by both occupants of the room, Alex took a seat across from them and continued; “Tests are back. Congratulations, you’re going to be parents!”

“Not funny, Alex.” Kara attempted to glare, trying to hide how pleased she was with the news. Alex chuckled and Lena sighed in relief.

“So I was right, then? Kara is the, well, father.” Lena cringed at sounding so uncertain. Of course she was right. She certainly hadn’t slept with anyone else. Alex’s eyes softened, giving Lena a sympathetic nod.

“We’ve confirmed that the fetus is half human, half Kryptonian. Then, just to be certain, I ran a paternity test against both Kara’s and Superman’s DNA. While Superman shares a familial bond through Kara, you two,” she gestured to Lena and then Kara across the table, “are definitely the parents.”

“Oh _Rao_. Clark! What am I going to tell him? He’s going to freak ou – oops!” Kara’s hands flew to cover her mouth, staring wide-eyed between Alex and Lena. Alex slapped a hand to her forehead mumbling about Pam in HR and the mountain of NDAs she would have to have Lena sign. Lena simply smirked.

“I already knew Clark Kent is Superman. I’m actually a bit mad at myself for not making the connection to you and Supergirl earlier, honestly.”

Kara looked like she wanted to say something before being distracted by something only she could hear. She turned to Lena in apology, gesturing to the nearest window.

“I’m so sorry, I have to . . .”

Lena nodded her understanding, sending her on her way with a promise to talk later and watching as Kara, clumsy, sunshine Kara, dashed to the window and took off into the bright afternoon sky.

Alex cleared her throat to draw attention back to her.

“Yeah, when we’re done here, you are going to have to meet and have a nice chat with Pam before I can send you home. Back to the matter at hand though. We don’t really know what to expect with a human-Kryptonian hybrid pregnancy, so I want to monitor you closely throughout, if that’s okay with you?”

Lena nods, resigned. “I’m not exactly an expert myself and it isn’t like I can go through my usual gynecologist to find an obstetrician, so I hope your agency is willing to work _with_ me and not simply _on_ me, Agent Danvers.”

“Oh, I’m handling this one personally, Lena. Don’t worry; you’re not a lab rat. That’s my future niece or nephew in there, after all.”

Lena smiled softly, feeling touched, and willing herself not to cry. She whispered a soft “thank you, Alex” allowing the redhead to give her forearm a gentle squeeze of support before discreetly wiping at her eyes and turning away. Alex respectfully gave her a moment to collect herself.

“How are you doing with all this? Kara is Kara. Even though this is all totally unexpected, she has a strong support network and I know she’ll be taking it all in stride soon enough. Do you have anyone to talk to about everything, Lena? You know you can come to me, right? Or Maggie, Winn, probably even James. We all care, ya know? We might not be as close to you as Kara, but especially now, you’re part of the family, so we are here for you.”

Lena couldn’t have responded to that, even if she’d known what to say. Her face crumpled and she let out a sudden sob, startling Alex into action. The agent had Lena out of the chair and into her arms quickly enough that Lena briefly wondered if Kara wasn’t the only alien in the family before allowing herself to cling to Alex’s support.

What felt like eons but was only a few moments passed before Lena pulled back, wiping at reddened eyes.

“Doing that well, huh?” Alex jokes, reaching to hand her a tissue from the center of the table, always keeping a steadying hand at her elbow. She gets the desired result as Lena barks out a watery laugh.

“Hormones are the worst.”

Alex smiles brightly, pulling her in for a quick squeeze before straightening, clearing her throat, and exaggeratedly dusting herself off. Lena finds herself feeling lighter for it.

“While we wait for Supergirl to return, why don’t we take a trip up to HR. You really do need to go over some paperwork.” Alex grimaces slightly, gesturing to the door. Lena follows behind, chuckling softly, thinking that maybe everything is going to be okay, after all.

 

* * *

 

 

After a whirlwind three hours during which Lena is sure she signed more paperwork than a year’s worth of proposals at L-Corp at the insistence of the infamous Pam from HR, Kara returns from what ended up being a small warehouse fire just outside of the city. She was able to pull the small crew of workers to safety and aided with putting out the flames and beginning cleanup before making her way back to the DEO.

Lena and Alex were in Alex’s lab, going over Lena’s earlier test results, brainstorming possibilities for she and Kara’s unexpected situation. When Lena stifled a rather impressive yawn, Kara decided it was time to finish up for the night.

“Hey.”

Alex waved in greeting and Lena looked up from the bloodwork she had been studying with a slight smile. Kara melted a little at the sight. She’d been terrified Lena would never look at her that way again. Lena stifled another yawn, face scrunching adorably.

“Alright, I think it’s time to call it a night.”

Alex gathered some notes, giving Lena’s shoulder a quick squeeze as she passed by and stopped to give Kara a one-armed hug on the way through the door, wishing them both a good night as she left.

Suddenly left alone with Lena, Kara fidgeted with the edge of her cape.

“Can I, uh, give you a lift home?”

“ _Flying_?” Lena never was much of a fan of being off the ground, a fear only exacerbated by nearly crashing in a helicopter after the Venture incident. “I’m not so sure I should, I mean, I can’t ask you to . . .”

Kara stepped closer, suddenly feeling a surge of confidence.

“You’re not asking. I’m offering. I know you don’t like to fly, but you’ll be perfectly safe. I promise. I just, uh, well, I want to make sure you get home safely and I um, please?”  

Lena thought for a moment longer, finally relenting with a gentle nod. Moments later, after Kara had led her to the nearest balcony and they’d situated themselves with Lena’s arms tightly around the blonde’s waist, feet firmly planted atop Kara’s own boots, Lena decided that if this was what flying could feel like, she may just have to change her mind about it.

Lena’s eyes were firmly closed to avoid looking down as she held on for dear life, the scent of Kara surrounding her. And if Kara took the long way to her penthouse, well, Lena was perfectly okay with that.


End file.
